Cairo — A new Android web browser could help users of low-end versions of smartphones, which are becoming increasingly common in in Africa, the Middle East and Asia (AMEA), navigate the Internet up to 30 per cent faster.

Chinese web services company Baidu has teamed up with telecommunications firm France Télécom-Orange to develop the application, called El Browzer, which is based on a mobile browser that Baidu made for Chinese smartphone owners.

Orange says that El Browzer is more data efficient than other smartphone browsers. According to Tania Aydenian, mobile partnerships manager at the firm, its data compression capabilities reduce the amount of data consumed by 30 to 90 per cent, making it faster.

Aydenian tells SciDev.Net that compressing data helps users of lower-cost smartphones navigate the Internet more cheaply. The browser also simplifies web access by using one-click links to preferred services.

“Orange’s smartphone penetration across AMEA countries currently ranges between eight and 15 per cent of the nearly 80 million customers in this region,” she says.

“We are seeing growth in demand for smartphones across all of our markets [in this region]. For example, in Egypt, we saw demand for Android devices double in the second half of 2012.”

El Browzer, which was launched in Egypt this month (1 February), has been developed to fulfil the growing low-end smartphone market in AMEA countries.

Arabic and English versions of the free browser are available pre-installed on Android devices sold via Mobinil, an Egyptian firm partly owned by France Télécom-Orange. A French version is also being developed.

Alternatively, Mobinil customers can download the browser to their Android devices.

Mosab Ahmad, a senior software engineer at Egyptian IT firms Zobad.net and Shaghal.com, says that the simplified browser will save resources as unnecessary functions have been removed.

According to Ahmad, data compression is not only good for the user but also for operators as it frees up valuable bandwidth.

“This browser is a huge step, not because of its technological aspects, but because of the size of the two corporates [behind it],” he says.

Ahmad adds that Orange has a huge Internet network and that Baidu rarely partners with other companies.

But Ahmed Elmalkey, a software developer for Egyptian IT company Airoffice.net, is sceptical about the new browser’s compression technology.

“Sending compressed data might involve some kind of encryption that should worry many governments in the region because customers’ data will be controlled by a private company,” he says.

Customers can look forward to even faster mobile Internet on the latest LTE devices

AT&T* plans to roll out 4G LTE in Milwaukee by the end of the year, bringing customers the latest generation of wireless network technology and faster mobile Internet speeds.

Watch here to see several of the benefits AT&T 4G LTE provides. LTE technology is capable of delivering mobile Internet speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. Today, smartphones download fastest on AT&T 4G LTE.** Customers will be able to stream, download, upload and game faster than ever before on the latest LTE-compatible smartphones, tablets and devices.

“Milwaukee enjoys AT&T’s fast 4G speeds*** today as part of the nation’s largest 4G network, and our teams will be working hard across the city toward our upcoming 4G LTE launch,” said Scott VanderSanden, President of AT&T Wisconsin. “AT&T customers in Milwaukee can look forward to even faster speeds this year, on our leading lineup of smartphones, tablets and other devices.”

AT&T’s 4G Network

AT&T’s innovation and investment has resulted in the nation’s largest 4G network, covering 275 million people with ultra-fast speeds and a more consistent user experience. AT&T is the only U.S. service provider to deploy two compatible 4G technologies to deliver more speed to more customers. Our 4G LTE network delivered faster average download speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld’s most recent 13-market speed tests.

AT&T’s 4G network also delivers multiple innovations that optimize the network for performance. Our network’s radio components are placed close to the antenna at most cell sites, instead of inside the base station, which helps minimize power loss between the base station and antenna and, in turn, improves the performance of our 4G LTE network. The network also is designed with its core elements distributed across the country, which helps reduce latency, or the delay when using the Internet, because your request isn’t traveling as far.

Even as AT&T continues to expand its 4G LTE coverage in 2012 and 2013, customers can get 4G speeds outside of 4G LTE areas on our 4G HSPA+ network, unlike competitor’s, where customers fall back to slower 3G technologies when outside of 4G LTE coverage.

Over the past five years, AT&T invested more than $115 billion into operations and into acquiring spectrum and other assets that have enhanced our wireless and wired networks. Since 2007, AT&T has invested more capital into the U.S. economy than any other public company. In a July 2012 report, the Progressive Policy Institute ranked AT&T No. 1 on its list of U.S. “Investment Heroes.”

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. Up to 10x claim compares 4G LTE download speeds to industry average 3G download speeds. Fastest handset download claim based on a comparison of average download speeds of AndroidTM smartphones operating on the 4G LTE networks of U.S. national carriers. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.